Modular textile drafting machine



Jan. 16, 1968 J. R. BROWNELL 3,363,287

MODULAR TEXTILE DRAFTING MACHINE I Filed Oct. 1, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG); 1

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Jan. 16, 1968 J. R. BROWNELL 3,363,287

MODULAR TEXTILE DRAFTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,363,287 MODULAR TEXTILE DRAFTING MACHINE John R. Brownell, Telford, Pa., assignor to Turbo Machine Company, Lansdale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 400,825 3 Claims. (Cl. 19--260) This invention relates to textile machinery, and particularly to a textile drafting machine.

Experience has shown that the requirements or specifications imposed on a manufacturer by a prospective purchaser of a textile drafting machine may vary widely depending upon such things as the particular fibers or blends of fibers to be drafted, the particular results sought to be achieved by the drafting operation, and other factors. For example, the drafting machine may be required to have from one to four or more drafting stages, the ratch of some or all of the stages may be different from those of the others, the machine may or may not be required to include a heating unit and/or a cooling unit, the machine may or may not be required to have a crimper, and, where staple fibers are to be produced from continuous filaments, the machine will be required to include beater or breaker rolls.

It will be understood then that a manufacturer of textile drafting machinery is ordinarily unable to anticipate the demands .of his customers. He cannot with any degree of assurance manufacture and assemble in advance of the actual orders. He cannot stock in inventory a reasonable assortment of machines. Rather, he is required to custom build the machine to the particular purchasers specification, unless he is willing and able to carry an unreasonably large and burdensome assortment of machines in stock. Even then, he will frequently be required to alter and modify the stock machine.

The object of the present invention is to provide a textile machine, particularly a textile drafting machine, which is so highly versatile as to be capable of meeting an exceptionally wide variety of requirements which may be imposed by the purchaser.

The above object is achieved, in accordance with the present invention, by providing a modular form of construction, comprising a basic frame on which may be mounted a variable number of a variety of types of moduin components. Such components may be manufactured in advance and stored in stock. They are adapted for easy and ready mounting and assembly on the basic frame, thereby to assemble a machine having the features and otherwise meeting the specifications and requirements imposed by the particular customer.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a drafting machine of modular construction illustrating the present invention. The machine shown 'has a plurality of modular drafting units, a heating unit, a cooling unit, a breaker unit, and a crlmper;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing one of the modular drafting units; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the same unit as in FIG. 2, showing the lower casting separated from the upper casting.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the drafting machine of modular construction there illustrated comprises a pair of horizontally-disposed parallel spaced-apart cylindrical support rods 20 and 21 supported at each end by the upright support members or legs 22 and 23. The legs 22 and 23 are connected near the floor level by a base member 24. Base member 24 supports the electric drive motor 25 and gear reduction unit 26. Drive motor 25 is coupled to the gear reduction unit 26 by a V-belt (not shown) which may be adjusted for tension and variable speed de- 3,363,287 Patented Jan. 16, 1968 livery by the hand wheel 27. The gear reduction drive shaft 28 is connected by a drive belt 29 to the input drive shaft 30 which may be supported and journalled for rotation in the leg members 22 and 23. Drive shaft 30 is located below, and mid-way between the cylindrical rods 20 and 21.

As viewed in FIG. 1, tow (not shown) is fed in at the left end of the machine and delivered from the right end. The machine shown illustrates one of the many combinations of modular components which may :be mounted on the support rods 20 and 21 at desired positions. Where the modular component requires to be driven, as in the case of the drafting roll units, such drive is provided by the input drive shaft 30.

In FIG. 1, the machine is depicted as having, in order from left to right, four modular drafting units 31, 32, 33, and 34 each containing a pair of nip rolls, then a heater unit 35, then another nip roll unit 36, then a cooling unit 37, then a triple breaker unit 38, and finally a crimper unit 39. The triple breaker unit 38 comprises, from left to right, a pair of front nip rolls 38a, then a pair of beater bars 38b, and then a pair of delivery nip rolls 38c.

The pair .of input nip rolls 31, at the left end of the machine as viewed in FIG. 1, are driven at a rotational speed to move the tow into the machine at the desired rate. The ratch or distance between the several sets of nip rolls 31, 32, 33, and 34 may be varied or adjusted as desired. I have found, for example, that fibers having superior characteristics with respect to tensile strength and elasticity may be produced 'by employing a larger number of small-ratch drafting stages each having a lower draft ratio than would have to be employed if a smaller number of larger-ratch drafting stages were used.

The manner in which the drafting modules, such as 31, 32, 33, and 34, in fact any of the modules containing nip rolls, are connected to the input drive shaft 30 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Module 31 is there illustrated, but the structure shown is typical of all the other modules containing nip rolls. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the module 31 comprises a lower casting 41 and an upper casting 51 each of which, as best seen in FIG. 3, is provided with a pair of spaced-apart semi-circular recesses 41a, 41b, and 51a, 51b, for embracing the cylindrical support rods 20 and 21. The upper casting 51 spans across and rests on the rods 20, 21 and is supported thereby. The lower casting 41 is supported from the upper casting 51, as by the bolts 43, 44.

Input drive shaft 30 is provided with a keyway 25 which runs the full length of the shaft. Although not illustrated as such, the keyway 25 may preferably be a double keyway, i.e., having two slots in opposed positions. Contained within the hollow of the lower casting 41 is an input drive gear 25a keyed to drive shaft 30 and slidable therealong to any desired position. It will be understood that when the drive gear 25a is moved along the shaft 30 to a desired location, the lower casting 41 is, of course, moved along with it. The gear 25a is then fixed in the desired position, as by the set screw 25b.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the upper casting 51 supports a gear train comprising an input gear 53, a change pinion 54 fixed to gear 53, a change gear 55 in mesh with pinion 54, a helical drive gear 56 fixed to change gear 55, and a helical driven gear 57 in mesh with and driven by gear 56. Input gear 53 is adapted to mesh with and be driven by drive gear 25a.

Helical gear 57 is in mesh with and drives a helical gear 58 fixed to shaft 59 of the lower roll 60 of a pair of nip rolls 60, 61. The shaft 59 is journalled for rotation in the upper casting 51. The upper nip roll 61 is floating. It is supported from above, as will be described, and is free to pivot about the pivot pin 63 centrally located in the upper part of a bracket 70 which supports the shaft 62 of the upper roll 61. Roll. 61 is not driven; it is rotated by frictional engagement with the driven lower roll 60'.

The extent to which the upper roll 61 presses against the lower roll 60 is controlled by an air cylinder 67. One end of air cylinder 67 is pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 68 fixed in upper casting 51. A piston rod 66 protrudes from the other end of air cylinder 67. Secured to the distal end of rod 66 is a trunnion 65 to which a pair of adjustment levers 69 are pivotally secured in side-by-side relation. Levers 69 are pivotally supported at their lower end in upper casting 51, as by a pair of pivot pins 64, and are pivotally connected as at 63 to the bracket 70 which carries the shaft 62 of upper roll 61. With this arrangement, upper roll 61 can be moved downward to increase the pressure at the nip by extending piston rod 66, and can be moved upward to decrease the nip pressure, by withdrawing piston rod 66. Also, because it is pivotally mounted, upper roll 61 can lift at one end to accommodate roving of varying thickness without necessarily lifting at the other end.

It will be seen that a modular drafting unit similar to that of unit 31, just described, may be mounted on support rods 20, 21 between the legs 22 and 23 at any desired location. Moreover, by changing the gear ratio of the gear train in the upper casting 51, the peripheral speed of the nip rolls may be changed. Thus, the manufacturer, by stocking in inventory a relatively small variety of components, may assemble a drafting machine meeting a wide variety of customer demands with respect to the number of drafting stages, the ratch of the stages, the draft ratios of the stages, etc.

A drafting machine of modular construction of the type shown in FIG. 1 is particularly adapted to the provision of a relatively large number of drafting stages of relatively short ratch and relatively low draft ratio. This combination has been found to produce a roving whose fibers have superior characteristics with respect to tensile strength, elasticity, and other qualities.

In the machine of FIG. 1, a heating unit 35 is shown mounted between the nip rolls 34 and 36, and a cooling unit 37 is shown mounted between the nip rolls 36 and triple breaker unit 38. The heating and cooling units contain no rollers and consequently require no gear connection to the drive shaft 30. I

In FIG. 1, a triple breaker unit 38 is shown installed. This unit is installed, for example, when stretch-broken staple is to be produced from synthetic continuous filaments.

The crimper unit 39 is installed when crimping of the fibers is wanted.

It will be apparent that a textile drafting machine having the modular form of construction illustrated and described in the present application is adapted to having components added or omitted as desired to form a variety of combinations in a variety of arrangements, and having a variety of ratch spacings and draft ratios.

While the preferred embodiment of this invention has been described in some detail, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the invention as hereinafter l i edframe having a base, end uprights and a pair of elongated support rods spaced apart laterally and extending horizontally between and supported by said end uprights; a drive shaft extending horizontally between and supported for rotation in said end uprights below said support rods; power means supported on said base and coupled to said drive shaft for driving said drive shaft rotationally; a plurality of hollow open-bottom upper half-housings laterally bridging said support rods on the upper side thereof, the undersurface of each upper half-housing being provided with recesses for receiving the upper half of said support rods; a plurality of hollow open-top lower half-housings laterally spanning said support rods at the under side thereof, the upper surface of each lower half-housingbeing provided with recesses for receiving the lower half of said support rods, and mating with the'recesses of a respective upper half-housing to completely embrace said rods; opposed openings in the side walls of each lower half-housing to allow passage therethrough of said drive shaft; a drive gear within each lower half-housing, said drive gear being mounted on said drive shaft and slidable therealong to allow positioning of each lower half-housing and its mating upper half-housing at a selected lengthwise position on said drive shaft; gear-train means in each upper half-housing adapted when a respective upper and lower half-housing are abutted together to mesh with the drive gear of the lower half-housing; fastening means for securing each lower half-housing to a respective upper half-housing for supporting the lowerv half-housingfrom the upper half-housing; a pair of drafting rolls in each upper half-housing, one above the other; means connecting the lower of the drafting rolls to said gear train for driving the lower drafting roll rotationally; and pivotal means mounting the upper drafting roll for surface engagement with said lower drafting roll.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in the provision of fluid-cylinder piston means pivotally connected to said pivotal means for adjusting the pressure of the upper drafting roll against the lower drafting roll. 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 characterized in that said drive shaft is provided with a continuous keyway, and in that each drive gear in each lower half-housing is provided with a key for keying said drive gear to said drive shaft while allowing for adjustable sliding movement of said drive gear and its associated lower and upper half-housings to any lengthwise position onsaid drive shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 638,975 12/1899 Mills et a1. 19159 1,130,220 3/1915 Vales 19280 2,248,806 7/1941 Campbell 19.51 2,673,376 3/1954 Ambler 19'283 2,976,578 3/1961 Virgil 19.37

FOREIGN PATENTS 706,054 '3/ 1954 Great Britain.

poRsEY NEWTON, Primary Emmi-ta. 

1. A MODULAR TEXTILE DRAFTING MACHINE COMPRISING: A FRAME HAVING A BASE, END UPRIGHTS AND A PAIR OF ELONGATED SUPPORT RODS SPACED APART LATERALLY AND EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY BETWEEN AND SUPPORTED BY SAID END UPRIGHTS; A DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY BETWEEN AND SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION IN SAID END UPRIGHTS BELOW SAID SUPPORT RODS; POWER MEANS SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE AND COUPLED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT FOR DRIVING SAID DRIVE SHAFT ROTATIONALLY; A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW OPEN-BOTTOM UPPER HALF-HOUSINGS LATERALLY BRIDGING SAID SUPPORT RODS ON THE UPPER SIDE THEREOF, THE UNDERSURFACE OF EACH UPPER HALF-HOUSING BEING PROVIDED WITH RECESSES FOR RECEIVING THE UPPEER HALF OF SAID SUPPORT RODS; A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW OPEN-TOP LOWER HALF-HOUSINGS LATERALLY SPANNING SAID SUPPORT RODS AT THE UNDER SIDE THEREOF, THE UPPER SURFACE OF EACH LOWER HALF-HOUSING BEING PROVIDED WITH RECESSES FOR RECEIVING THE LOWER HALF OF SAID SUPPORT RODS, AND MATING WITH THE RECESSES OF A RESPECTIVE UPPER HALF-HOUSING TO COMPLETELY EMBRACE SAID RODS; OPPOSED OPENINGS IN THE SIDE WALLS OF EACH LOWER HALF-HOUSING TO ALLOW PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT; A DRIVE GEAR WITHIN EACH LOWER HALF-HOUSING, SAID DRIVE GEAR BEING MOUNTED ON SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND SLIDABLE THEREALONG TO ALLOW POSITIONING OF EACH LOWER HALF-HOUSING AND ITS MATING UPPER HALF-HOUSING AT A SELECTED LENGTHWISE PORTION ON SAID DRIVE SHAFT; GEAR-TRAIN MEANS IN EACH UPPER HALF-HOUSING ADAPTED WHEN A RESPECTIVE UPPER AND LOWER HALF-HOUSING ARE ABUTTED TOGETHER TO MESH WITH THE DRIVE GEAR OF THE LOWER HALF-HOUSING; FASTENING MEANS FOR SECURING EACH LOWER HALF-HOUSING TO A RESPECTIVE UPPER HALF-HOUSING FOR SUPPORTING THE LOWER-HOUSING FROM THE UPPER HALF-HOUSING; A PAIR OF DRAFTING ROLLS IN EACH UPPER HALF-HOUSING, ONE ABOVE THE OTHER; MEANS CONNECTING THE LOWER OF THE DRAFTING ROLLS TO SAID GEAR TRAIN FOR DRIVING THE LOWER DRAFTING ROLL ROTATIONALLY; AND PIVOTAL MEANS MOUNTING THE UPPER DRAFTING ROLL FOR SURFACE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LOWER DRAFTING ROLL. 